Fire-extinguishing unit



April 8, 1947. 3, T, JR 2,418,468

FIRE EXTINGUISHING UNIT Filed May 27, 1944 YNVENTOR. 44235] /zz ATTO NEY Patented Apr. 8, 1947 UN I T E D STATE S PAT'E N T Q F 'FI CE FIRE -EXTINGUISHIN G UNIT Harry C. Grant, .lr., New York, N.-Y., assignorto Specialties Development Corporation, Bloom field, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 27, 1944; Serial Nth- 537,619

(Cl.169-3I) 7 Claims.

My invention relates to fire extinguishing, andmore particularly to a portable fire extinguishing unit.

In industrial plants and similar localities, it has been the custom to provide fire extinguishers of the type wherein a high pressure fluid medium, for instance, carbon dioxide, is stored in acontainer and discharged therefrom by a hose for extinguishing. a .fire. Of a necessity, the containers are ofa relatively large size which renders them extremely heavy, and often are of such a-weight as toalmost defy handling and operating by a single operator. Furthermore, it is:necessary with a container of this type, in order'to obtain a desirable range of operation, that. the container be equipped with a relatively long-hose which increases the weight of the unit and causes difficulty in the handling of the container.

Usually, a container of the foregoing described character is provided with asyphon tube which has a lower end section spaced slightly from the bottom of the container in order that the medium stored therein may be completely discharged therefrom. Obviously, should the container be operated with its longitudinal axis disposed in a substantially horizontal position, a complete discharge of the medium would not be efiected due to pocketing of the medium below the side of the syphon tube.

In order to overcome this difiiculty, many containers are operated from a vertical position or are. provided with a syphon tube having a flexible. lower end section extending downwardly and terminatingadjacent the peripheral and bottom walls of the. container when the latter is disposed at an angle with respect to a vertical plane. Therefore, it will be apparent that it becomes mandatory to operate the container from either a vertical or inclined position. Due to the weight and the relatively long and narrow configuration of the container, considerable difficulty has been experienced in supporting the container in averticaLposition, either with or without a mobile support, whereby to preclude toppling or upsetting-swhen it had been-hurriedly moved to meet an emergency.

Oneof the principal objects of my invention is to provide a portable fire extinguishing unit so constructed and arranged whereby the unit may be readily moved from one locality to another and operated by'only one operator without undue effort or skill.

Anotherobject of my .inventio-nis to providea portable-fire extinguishing unit wherein the container is maintained in an operating position "at all times to insure substantially complete discharge. of the-medium.

Another object-of=my invention is to provide aunit of the foregoing. described character which is so constructed andarranged as to lend itself to complete discharge of the contents of the container regardless of the position the container may ultimately. assume byireason of the unreelingot the hose.

Another object of: mytinventionto provide a 'unit of the foregoing. described-character so constructed 1 and arranged whereby the hose is normally, reeled about the container when not in userthus.eliminatingea separatestorage arrangement for the hose-andiefiectingeasaving of time in getting the hose ready for action.

Another object of my invention is to provide aunitof the foregoing described character Wherein the container is rotatably. mounted in an incient ineoperation,economical' in manufacture and wherein the container may be readily replaced.

Other and further objects of the invention will beuobvious. upon an under'standing'of the "mus trative embodiment about to be descri'bed,orwill be indicated in theiappen'ded claims, andwari ous'a'dvantages' not referre'd'to herein will oc cur to one skilled in"the 'artuponemployrnent of theinvention in practice:

A preferred embodiment of 'the invention has been chosen for purposes of "i1lustration a1id d' scription and is shown in the" accompanying drawing, forming a part" of the specification, wherein:

Figure 1 is a' side elevational view; partlyin" section; illustratingomy. inventi'om': the containen beingdisposedi in' an inclinedposition;

Figure 2' is aside elevational View; partly) in section, the container beingrdisposedfin a :ver: tical position.

Figure :3 is an endrelevational-viewr In practicing; myinventioniasillustrated-inthe drawing, I provide achassis l0 havinga: frame' smite comprising a pair of spaced, normally inclined, tubular side frame members II having their upper ends connected together to provide a handle I2. The lower ends of the members II are connected together by a right angularly and upwardly extending U-shaped bearing supporting member I 3 in which is disposed and connected a spider I 4 having a hub constituting a bearin block 15 receiving therein a trunnion IS. The trunnion I6 has secured thereto a retaining disc or plate I? provided about its periphery with adjustable lugs l8 each having a radially extending setscrew or bolt 19. The bolts I9 serve to clamp the lower end of a cylindrical container 20 to the plate I! for rotation therewith relative to the chassis ID.

The container 20 is adapted to contain a fire extinguishing fluid medium, for instance, carbon dioxide, and has detachably secured thereto a control head 2| enclosing a valve operable for releasing the fluid medium stored within the container. The control head 2| is provided with an axially extending trunnion 22 journaled in a hearing 23 carried by a bearing bracket 24 secured to the frame members I I adjacent the handle l2.

A fluid medium discharge hose 25 is normally reeled about the container and has one end 26 connected to the control head and the opposite end 21 provided with a nozzle or discharge horn 28 mounted on the frame members II by means of a bracket 29 or the like. Obviously, when the horn 28 is detached from the chassis and pull is exerted on the hose, the container will be rotated, and thus permit unreeling of the hose.

The lower or front end of the frame has connected thereto traction means or an undercar-,

riage 30 comprising pairs of front and rear wheels or rollers 3| over which are trained endless tread members 32 to provide caterpillar treads, whereby thev unit may be conveniently moved from one locality to another with minimum effort.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the supporting member I3 with the spider l4 and its hub l serves as a mounting for the container 20 when the latter is disposed in an inclined position and, as illustrated in Figure 2, serves as both a mounting for the container and a support for the chassis to maintain the container in a vertical position for operation after the hose has been unreeled. In'this latter position, the undercarriage 30 is rendered ineffective, the center of gravity of the container being so disposed as to counteract any tendency of the undercarriage of the chassis to laterally displace the container from its vertical position.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have provided a highly efficient portable fire extinguishing unit wherein relatively large and heavy containers may be readily transported and operated by only one operator without undue effort or skill and that the unit lends itself to speedy operation to meet emergency demands by having the hose stored about the container and ready for instant use. i

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to coverall the generic and 4 which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween,

I claim:

1. In combination, a frame having spaced side frame members connected by a U-shaped member at one end and by a member forming a handle at the other end, a container extending lengthwise with said frame members and equipped with a flexible conduit for discharging the con tents of said container, said conduit being normally reeled about the container, an undercarriage connected to and supporting said side members and said container in an inclined position, and a pair of bearing structures carried by said frame for rotatably supporting said container whereby to permit rotation of said container to efiect unreeling of said conduit for use, one of said structures being mounted on said U -shaped member, said U-shaped member constituting a support for said frame and said container when disposed in vertical position and the undercarriage i rendered ineffective.

2. In combination, a frame, a container extending lengthwise with said frame and equipped with a flexible conduit for discharging the contents of said container, said conduit being normally reeled about the container, an undercarriage connected to said frame and supporting the latter andsaid container in an inclined position, and a pair of bearing structures carried by said frame for rotatably supporting said container and thus permitting rotation of said container to effect unreeling of said conduit for use, one of said bearing structures being disposed at one end of said frame and constituting a support for said frame when said container is disposed in vertical position and the undercarriage is rendered ineffective.

3. In combination, a frame, a container extending lengthwise with said frame and equipped with a flexible conduit for discharging the contents of said container and being normally reeled about the container, an undercarriage connected to said frame and supporting the latter and said container in an inclined position, and means carried by said frame and rotatably supporting-said container to permit rotation of said container to eifect unreeling of said conduit for use, said means including means disposed at an end of said frame and constituting a support for said container and said frame when the container is disposed in vertical position and the undercarriage is rendered ineffective.

4. In combination, a frame, a container rotatably mounted on and extending lengthwise with said frame, a flexible conduit connected to said container for discharging its contents, said conduit being normally reeled about said container, traction means associated with said frame and supporting the latter and said container, and a pair of bearings carried by said frame for rotat ably mounting said container whereby to permit rotation of said container to effect unreeling of said conduit for use. a

5. In combination, an elongated frame, traction means at one end of said frame and constructed and arranged for mounting said frame in inclined position, an elongated cylindrical container, means at both ends of said frame for rotatably mounting the ends of said container in spaced relation and lengthwise extending position with respect to said frame, a valve connected to the upper end of said container, and a hose having one end connected to said valve and being reeled about the side wall of said container.v

6. In combination, a 'unit having elements adapted for rotation and including an elongated cylindrical container for a fluid medium under pressure, a flexible conduit normally reeled around said container, and valve means for conon said frame, a flexible conduit connected to said container for discharging its contents, said conduit being reeled about said container, and traction means normally supporting said frame and trolling the discharge of the medium; and means 5 said container in an inclined position.

including a mobile structure embodying traction means and providing for supporting said unit stationarily and for movement with said container in position extending lengthwise generally in the direction of said movement, and bearing means providing for rotation of said elements.

7. In combination, a frame having a portion at one end for supporting the frame in a substantially vertical position and having a portion at the other end serving as a handle, a container extending lengthwise with respect to said frame between said portions, means associated with each end of said container and adjacent each of said portions for rotatably mounting said container HARRY C. GRANT, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

